BRIGG RAILWAY LINE REPORT FOR SATURDAY APRIL 10

BY PAUL JOHNSON, FRIENDS OF THE BRIGG & LINCOLN LINES

After BBC Weather predicted a rainy day, the opposite happened and the sun came out.

Passenger numbers were mixed on the 0803 Sheffield to Cleethorpes. Only 4 people boarded the train at Worksop, 1 at Retford but 12 at Gainsborough Central. Sadly, 2 people asked for a duo ticket but were refused.

Later, engineering works on the East Coast main line meant numbers were down for customers changing at Retford Low Level.

After the appalling numbers at Brigg last week (7), things picked up dramatically with 10 people getting off the 1144 arrival and steady numbers on the remaining services. This meant we  were back to normal levels again. A trickle of customers also travelled to and from Kirton In Lindsey station.

Due to the ongoing Trans Pennine Express problems of staff working to rule, a number of trains were cancelled. The 1203 Sheffield Midland to Cleethorpes (via Brigg) Northern Rail service had a large number of customers using it to get to Barnetby, Habrough, Grimsby Town and Cleethorpes.

A comment from a customer highlighted that Northern should be doing better in promoting this line when TPE services are not running on a Saturday.

The Customer Information Screens at Cleethorpes were faulty again with nothing shown on the Brigg line, Platform 3. Sadly, no announcements were made, either.